This invention relates to an improved composition for use as an animal litter.
Innumerable efforts have been made to develop an improved, highly efficacious litter for animals, particularly domestic pets, such as cats. In view of such efforts and experience achieved thereby, it is recognized that the long sought, desired litter must possess certain fundamental characteristics and properties, including by way of example only, a high-water or moisture absorbency; a capacity substantially for eliminating odors, particularly ammoniacal, as normally resulting from animal waste; a lack of toxicity so as to present no health hazard to the animals; a particulate weight and size to resist adhering to the animal for subsequent tracking about the surrounding area; an adequate crush strength to avoid being pulverized by the animal's bodily movements; a low degree of dusting; and being formed of economically available constituents.
To the present time the various, numerous preparations which have been developed in an effort to attain the foregoing properties have consistently been deficient in one or more respects.
Although various clays have been used for animal litters, such as fuller's earth, diatomaceous earth, and the like, high-water absorbency has been offset by an inherent incapacity to absorb odors. Litters consisting solely of a dehydrated grass, such as alfalfa, have also been utilized, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,691, but such proved to be relatively expensive so that attempts have been made to use alfalfa in combination with other materials but with the alfalfa remaining the primary ingredient. One particular example of such is a litter wherein alfalfa is intermixed with a lightweight absorptive agent, such as vermiculite or perlite, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,397. In this case the vermiculite and perlite being of lightweight tended to adhere to the animal with potential for tracking.
Other efforts have comprehended use of acidic cellulosic material, such as corncob grits, wherein the pH had to be properly controlled to avoid harm to the skin of the animals, as well as to provide the capacity to neutralize the basic character of the excretory matter of the animal, all as more fully set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,615. Although the foregoing is not to be construed as a complete review of animal litter compositions, such should be considered as indicating the generally basic type of such compositions currently known. From such a review it is evident that the goal of providing a litter possessing the aforementioned characteristics has not been heretofore achieved.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an animal litter composition which comprises naturally occuring components which in predetermined combination provide synergistically, a litter possessing the long desired and recognized attribute of a proper and wholly effective litter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal litter composition which does not require utilization of chemical agents in the preparation thereof and which permits the integration of various naturally occurring constituents into a pellet formed economically be readily available equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal litter of the character stated which possesses moisture absorbency to a substantially greater extent than currently available litters, such as particularly those composed essentially of clay or alfalfa, which have been believed heretofore to possess a desired level of moisture absorptivity.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an animal litter of the character stated which is comprised of components easily obtainable at a minimum cost.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an animal litter of the character stated which is highly efficient and reliable in use for waste control and odor elimination, as well as being non-toxic, readily disposable, and resistant to crushing.